KEY POINTS:
JOHN MORGAN
CEO OF NIWA
What was your first job?
Trainee sales and marketing cadet for Brown and Dureau in Wellington. It was in the mid-1970s and I was paid $60 a week.
How did you get your first job?
During the Muldoon Think Big era, I was fascinated by the political debate about whether New Zealand's future was best served by encouraging business to focus on wealth creation or by having people pay higher taxes so governments could focus on wealth redistribution.
I interpreted it as "should we focus on making the pie bigger so everyone gets more in the end, or should we concentrate on dividing up the pie?"
I think the answer is we should focus on both but, at the time, I thought the answer was to make the pie bigger so I decided I wanted a "business" career.
When I applied for the job I wanted, I did my best at the interview to persuade the company I was their man. I was too young for the advertised role but, because of my enthusiasm, the company took me on as a trainee.
What did you learn?
The value of service, ethics and persistence.
What was your boss like?
His name was Bob Cavanagh. He had grey hair and was forever telling me proverbs so I thought he was old and wise. He would say things like, "always keep learning - don't let cynicism and age close your mind".
Advice for someone starting out?
There's no substitute for hard work, persistence and a positive attitude. Chase success, not money, and eventually the rewards will catch up with you.
